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(4) Instructions have also been given that all fresh fruit,
vegetables and fresh fish that has been taken on in Egypt,
remaining on the ship on arrival, is to be destroyed in the
ship's furnace. If this has not been down River, it must
be done in the docks and must be strictly carried out.
Meat and canned goods need not be touched."
By December the incidence of cholera in Egypt had fallen
to almost nothing and the instructions for the chlorination of water
and the cleansing of water tanks were cancelled.E was, however,
decided that the requirement to destroy fresh stores taken on in
Egypt should continue until further notice.
SUSPECTED CASE OP SMALLPOX - s.s."3TANCLEBVE".
On Saturday, February 15th, the above-mentioned vessel
arrived off Gravesend at 0840 hours and was boarded by the Boarding
Medical Officer on Duty. The Master in his Declaration of Health
considered he had a case of chickenpox on board.
The vessel's ports of call were as follows
Auckland 4.12.46; Lyttleton 16.12.46; Panama Canal 16.1.47;
Jamaica 20.1.47; Newport Ne#s 28.1.47; The vessel had been
away from the United Kingdom for two years.
History of Case.
The patient was an assistant steward aged 19. He
took ill on 10.2.47 with backache and headache. On 11.2.47 the
backache continued and his temperature was 101°. On 12.2.147 a
rash commenced on his face, irritable, temperature 1000. 13.2.47
rash generalised, temperature normal. 14.2.47 rash vesicular,
temperature 100°, backache gone.
Action taken on Arrival.
On arrival the patient had a terrperature of
99°. His general condition was good. He had a generalised
pustular rash, heaviest on face. There was one lesion in each
palm and one on the sole of his right foot. The lesions were
neither "shotty" nor superficial but had been scratched by the
patient, who also had acne, which complicated the 'picture'. No
definite cropping had occurred although lesions were not all at the
same stage. The patient had one small vaccination scar on his
left arm, stated to be about two years old - the only occasion on
which he had been vaccinated.
The patient had not been isolated, the ship's hospital
being in use to accommodate 5 Distressed British Seamen. He was
removed to the Port Isolation Hospital at Denton together with two
immediate contacts as a case of suspected smallpox. All the
personnel on board (43 crew and 5 D.B.S) were vaccinated, the
contents of the infected quarters removed with the patient for
disinfection and the cabin was fumigated with formalin. The names
and addresses of the crew and other persons on board (pilots) were
forwarded to the local Medical Officers of Health concerned, with a
brief note of the circumstances.
On Monday, 17th February, your Medical Officer visited the
case and after making a careful examination came to the conclusion
that it was not one of smallpox but of chickenpox, there being
evidence of chickenpox rather than smallpox distribution with some
cropping.
However, in view of the Boarding Medical Officer's
diagnosis and the action that had been taken in vaccinating the
crew, your Medical Officer called in Dr.Periera, who examined the
case and said that, in his opinion, it was undoubtedly chickenpox.
(20)